No house tax, decides civic bodyTo lose Rs 400-crore JNNURM grant; proposes end to paid parking; rejects paid parking at underground lots
Chandigarh, March 30
Ignoring the fact that the municipal corporation (MC) will lose the Rs
400-crore grant-in-aid under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for not imposing house tax, the General House today rejected the proposal unanimously.

Councillors argue during the General House of the municipal corporation at Sector 17 in Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune Photo: Parvesh Chauhan

DC’s office, forest dept lock horns
Chandigarh, March 30
Two departments of the UT Administration have locked horns over the restriction on the height of buildings around the Sukhna catchment area.

HC raps UT police, CBI’s Chandigarh wing
Chandigarh, March 30
Virtually rapping the Chandigarh Police for shoddy investigations and the Chandigarh branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a complete cover-up in the UT teacher recruitment scam, allegedly involving the then DPI(S) Samwartak Singh, the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) today handed over the case to the Delhi branch of the premier investigation agency.

Mohali to remove tents from greenbelts
Mohali, March 30
Following the directions by the Punjab and Haryana High Court of removing security tents from the green belts in the UT a couple of days ago, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has also initiated action to deal with the hazard in the town.

Farm, allied activities get top priority
Mohali, March 30
With allocation of Rs 1159 crores, the agriculture and allied activities have been given top priority in the credit plan of Mohali district for the financial Year 2012-13.

Solid waste management facility gets rolling
Mohali, March 30
The process to acquire 50 acres of land to setup of the solid waste management facility for the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) cluster has started to roll.

Police carries out special drive before IPL
Mohali, March 30
With the Indian Premier League cricket match round the corner and prevailing tension in the area due to Rajoana issue, the Sohana and Kharar city police today carried out separate special checking drives in all the main markets, hotels, religious sites and other public places of the area.

census 2011
Craze for vehicles reduces number of bicycle owners
Chandigarh, March 30
The craze of residents for swanky two-wheelers and four-wheelers has pushed bicycles out of fashion, negating the efforts of the UT Administration to promote cycling as an environment-based and pocket-friendly initiative.

Railways’ projects incomplete, Demands not met
Chandigarh, March 30
Though residents of the city have been demanding better connectivity of the capital of two states, Chandigarh, with the metropolitan cities in the country, no major trains have been announced so far except the weekly Chandigarh-Bandra train, which was flagged off from the city recently. There has been a demand for the introduction of trains to Bangaluru, Kolkata and other major towns of the nation, besides a third Shatabdi to Delhi.
Residents board the Amritsar-Chandigarh Duronto Express. A file photo

Bomb hoax at Infosys
Chandigarh, March 30
The UT police went into a tizzy today following a series of calls at Infosys that a bomb had been planted in the building at IT Park, Mani Majra. A bomb disposal squad was pressed in to service and a search was conducted.
However, nothing was found and the call turned out to be a hoax. The police has traced the caller to Andhra Pradesh and investigations are on to arrest him and find out his identity.
The car that caught fire at Sector 23 in Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Protest by jewellers
Panchkula, March 30
Members of the Panchkula Jewellers Association took out a protest rally in the Sector 9 market here today.
They have been protesting against the Union Budget proposal of hiking custom duty on gold, introducing excise duty, and additional 1 per cent tax on cash payment above Rs 2
lakh.

Sector 38-West: Water supply to 650 EWS houses to continue
Chandigarh, March 30
Tussle between the Municipal Corporation and the Chandigarh Housing Board on the responsibility of operation and maintenance of a tubewell in Sector 38 West installed for supply of water to 650 EWS houses will not affect the routine water supply in the area. MC Commissioner VP Singh informed the general house that he had a word with the CHB authorities over this issue and matter would be resolved soon.

PU knows how to mint money
Chandigarh, March 30
It seems that Panjab University has come up with an innovative way of minting money by inviting fresh applications for various non-teaching posts. This has been done without declaring the results of the test that has already been conducted. As a result, applicants who are waiting for the previous results also applied this time by paying Rs 750 (Class B posts).

College gets nod to conduct exams
Chandigarh, March 30
The Panjab University less than a year after debarring Guru Nanak College, Ferozepur, as an examination centre has again approved the college as one of the examination centres.

Jubilant lot

Students of the Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology pose with their prizes on their annual function on Friday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Panjab University teachers object to expansion
Chandigarh, March 30
The ambitious plans of Panjab University (PU) to build a science centre and planetarium at its campus may hit a roadblock as the Panjab University Teachers Union (PUTA) objects to it due to the limited space for expansion within the campus.

right to education act
City schools ask Rs 2,500 per child before April 10
Chandigarh, March 30
Curtains are already down on Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, yet both education department and city private schools refuse to give rest to their war of letters.

Students want two more halls in university library
Chandigarh, March 30
Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) staged a protest outside Vice-Chancellor office today demanding opening of two extra halls in the library. Students said with the increasing number of courses the burden on library has increased and with the limited number of seats the students fail to get the benefit of a library.

PIL on shifting of DEO’s office filed
Chandigarh, March 30
A public interest litigation urging the Chandigarh administration and education department not to shift the DEO’s office out of the Sector-9 Additional Deluxe Building was filed in the district courts.

Gang busted, five arrested
Mohali, March 30
The Mohali police has claimed to have busted a gang of robbers by arresting five members of a gang, here today. The police has also recovered gold ornaments worth Rs 7 lakh, two motorbikes and several other costly items from them.